Tokai LS-100 Refret (Nibs) question

[zeneffect]

Retain the nibs or lose them due to added cost?

its a 78 all original.

 

[BKS]

That is personal and up to you.
I guess i will post the same question in some years for my Burny
I would Love to keep them on mine but i guess cost would be an issue. Looks too.

 

[Roxy13]

I remove them but I haven't had this problem yet with a nitro finished guitar. Once I'm set up for finishing I might replace the binding on one and put nibs back.

 

[brokentoeswalker]

I know i wouldn't pay the extra to keep them but i'm a cheap bastard

Lets see the LS100 !!

 

[therealfrogman]

I would sacrifice them. The cost really goes up and getting perfection may be difficult.

Lets see that guitar!!!! I have one same year.

 

[NJDevil]

Extra dexterity and much time needed for a luthier to do so the expensive vs. inexpensive would be a vague response. You will need a quote and obtain a price and then ask yourself if that price is worth it when you get a real dollar amount. Of course this amount will be an addition to the cost of a new fret job.

 

[zeneffect]

yes its a couple hundred over a normal job to get this done by sf guitarworks.

now i gotta go upstairs and open a case... stand by.

 

[GammyBird]

If you think you might resell the guitar, nibs.

 

[zeneffect]

 

[Oranjeaap]

Picture of the frets? They don't look too bad from far away.

 

[therealfrogman]

Its a Beauty.

 

[MooCheng]

never liked nibs so a chance to get rid of 'em would be welcomed
but a lot would depend on if its a player or something your looking to resell

as much as I hate nibs I'd pay whatever it costs to keep them on a valuable vintage guitar to keep its value

 

[zeneffect]

600 for the job to keep nibs and it gets plek'd was the quote I just got if you guys want real dollar amounts.

 

[Whoopysnorp]

I will bid adieu to the nibs on my LC100 when its frets become untenably low. I'd rather spend that money on stainless.

 

[zeneffect]

stainless added 120 to that price (keeping the nibs)

 

[Ph03n1x]

I 've wondered how hard it would be to add nibs after the fact. You would have to heat up the neck/plastic, remove it, then maybe use a special file to grind down the fret ends to accomodate new nibs. Then glue back on some plastic and cut out the in between bits. It would make sense on an expensive vintage guitar so maybe the same thing applies to the 70s/80s MIJ LPs since they are essentially classified as vintage now.

I think I have seen a few guitars on YJ where they have done this.

 

[jlee]

I think the common method for repairing nibs is to melt some binding in acetone and paint it onto the fret end.

Nibs are like vintage PIO caps. I don’t notice them when I play and I’m in the camp that believes a cap is a cap is a cap, but I like having them there for their vintage correct “mojo”.

 

[Roxy13]

Usually the binding is removed, frets are put in and flush filed and then new binding is put on and nibs are filed, then it's resprayed with clear nitro.

This article explains Gibson style large nibs:

How to bind a fretboard, Gibson-style | stewmac.com

Erick Coleman's restoring a 1950s Les Paul, and returning the bound fretboard to its original condition. With small files and elbow grease, he shows how to create the fret-end "binding nibs" for that distinctive Gibson look.

www.stewmac.com

If you are doing thin vintage style binding where the nib is partly down the fret end then you also have to bevel the fret and nibs together.